Swimmers swap legs for a tail at mermaid classes in China

Chinese mermaid fans are getting a chance to live out their dream of swimming underwater like the mythical aquatic creature.

Dada Li, a professional diver in the southern city of Guangzhou, teaches more than 100 adults and children how to wear a colourful monofin tail, hold their breath and dive underwater like a mermaid.

“I love being a mermaid, so I was sure that there were other little girls who had dreams of being one,” said Li, who began offering lessons a year ago after joining a mermaid troupe at one of China’s largest indoor aquariums.

The odd-ball romantic comedy about a businessman property developer who falls in love with a mermaid sent to assassinate him has broken Chinese box office records in 2016.

“The Mermaid has definitely made many people realise the concept of a mermaid and people can dress up as mermaids. After the movie’s success I heavily promoted my courses,” said Li.

Li, a former logistics worker who turned to diving in 2012, said she offers wannabe mermaids and mermen a one-to-three day course costing between 1,400 yuan ($201) and 4,000 yuan ($575) in the cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Huang Xiaying, 24, who was one of Li’s first students, is now a regular mermaid performer at an aquarium.

“When I’m in the water I feel at peace and when I’m with animals I’m very happy,” she said. “Being able to swim with so many different types of sea-creatures, it makes me feel relaxed and very comfortable.”